College Knowledge

Director of College Counseling Dr. Dan Geary discusses the unique challenges and trends of the pandemic year in the college search process

What has college counseling been like this year?

Adaptability has been the name of the game — along with creativity and maintaining a high standard of service for students and parents. Over the summer and into the fall, we brainstormed about how we could take what was an in-person process and adapt it through videoconference online. We had no playbook. It had never been done before. So we created a new process.

How have you used technology to bridge the gap?

By creating a Google Classroom for all the seniors, we could post information to all seniors on a daily and weekly basis about college visits, deadlines, dates or changes to the application processes. We digitized all of the forms we needed to counsel and track all of the students through the college application process and used Google Sheets to create a database where students could post and log their own activity about transcripts, recommendations and applications.

College counseling is usually a meeting intensive process. How have you held meetings?

We went from hosting nearly 80 visits from college reps each year to doing everything via videoconference. We were also able to switch from in-person to virtual meetings for students and parents — along with evening programs to get the information we would normally provide in a physical meeting. We’ve held a variety of webinars (financial aid, all junior parents, senior parents, juniors, seniors) along with two panel discussions with panelists from various colleges to meet with our parents.

What have been the biggest challenges this year?

Because of distancing and precautions, many schools just canceled their PSAT. We were way out in front with that, and the whole junior class (all 130 students) was able to take the PSAT this year on the designated day, October 16. We did it in the gym, socially distanced. We had plastic bags for phones, we washed down all the desks and sterilized documents beforehand and had separate exits for students in Groups A, B or C. Again, there was no playbook, but we made it work.

What about the SAT?

In normal years, students take the SAT twice in junior year. This year’s seniors could not do that because all testing sites shut down in spring. When colleges found out that test centers were severely limited in capacity, across the board, approximately 90% of all colleges have gone to test-optional admissions.

What impact does test-optional admissions have on the process?

Knowing they have been impacted by COVID-19 and all the restrictions that have come about as a result of it, many colleges are saying they are shifting to a more holistic review of our students. Colleges will have to make a decision based on all the other factors: essays, letters of recommendation, rigor of courses, grades, extenuating circumstances, the track record of the high school, demographics, etc. In addition, because the SAT/ ACT has been waived as an admissions requirement, students from around the country have applied to the landmark and flagship universities in record numbers.

What trends are you noticing in this year’s applications?

Students are not applying to as many schools. Instead of 8-10, we’re now seeing 5-6. In a previous year, it would not be unusual for someone to apply to the midwest, west coast, deep south, northeast. Now we are seeing people are tending to stay closer to home.

What trends are you hearing about nationwide?

Enrollment on college campuses this fall was significantly down (as much as 20%) for incoming freshmen class. At the same time that enrollments have dipped and applications pool has changed, on college campuses, costs have actually gone up significantly in several areas. Meanwhile, revenue (from dining halls, residence halls, tuition, sporting events, conferences) on campus has gone down. We don’t know yet if that will mean college costs will go up.

Any other thoughts?

Nationwide, so many students are not on campus at all. By Trinity being in a hybrid model, where kids can come on campus, socially distanced, and still participate to a significant degree in a traditional classroom environment, and have a teacher check up on them — these are all advantages that they have compared to the vast majority of students in the general population.